Many conventional electric ovens include one or more heating elements mounted at the top of the cooking cavity. These heating elements can be used to heat the cooking cavity to a predetermined temperature. Once the cooking cavity reaches a desired temperature, the heating element is switched on and off to keep the cooking cavity at the desired temperature.
Heating elements located at the top of the cooking cavity can also be used to broil food items located on a rack positioned under the heating elements. During a broiling operation, the heating elements are typically switched on continuously. This causes the heating elements to glow and to emit large amounts of radiant heat.
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a conventional oven 100 with a cooking cavity 102. A heating element 107 for the oven is illustrated in FIG. 2. As shown in FIG. 2, the heating element 107 includes a plurality of straight segments 110 that are joined to one another by connecting segments 113. The ends of the heating element 107 include electrodes 111 which are coupled to a source of electricity.
A rack 106 in the oven provides a cooking surface. The rack can be positioned at different levels within the cooking cavity using rails 104 that are located at different heights within the cooking cavity 102. Thus, food items can be positioned closer to or farther away from the heating element during a broiling operation.
Ovens with a heating element 107 used to conduct broiling operations can include a heat shield or a reflector 109 positioned above the heating element, between heating element 107 and the top wall of the cooking cavity. During a broiling operation, when the heating element 107 remains switched on for long periods of time, the reflector 109 blocks some of the heat produced by the heating element from reaching and damaging portions of the oven located above the heating element. In addition, the reflector 109 can reflect radiation or radiant heat emitted upward from the heating element 107 back downward onto the food items located on the rack 106. This helps to ensure that more of the heat energy produced by the heating element reaches the food items on the rack 106 to conduct a cooking operation.